Warning: This review
contains major spoilers. Plus, I get deep in the plot line aspect as it plays a
huge role in my rating of this film. If you just want to see the rating, scroll
to the end of the post. For the rest of you who enjoy peering into the mind of movie critics, read on! Included is a list of cast members mentioned in this
review.
Cast Members Mentioned:
Gamora
played by Zoe Saldana.
Drax played
by Dave Bautista.
Baby Groot
voiced by Vin Diesel.
Rocket
played by Bradly Cooper.
Yondu played
by Michael Rooker.
Nebula
played by Karen Gillan.
Mantis
played by Pom Klementieff.
Ego played
by Kurt Russell.
Taserface
played by Chris Sullivan.
Kraglin (as
well as on-screen Rocket) played by Sean Gunn.
Ronan the
Accuser played by Lee Pace.
Thanos
played by Josh Brolin.
Well, I’ll be an Ego’s uncle.
Marvel is very well-known for creating sequels that keep its
fan base craving more. From the Spiderman
variants to Thor, Marvel rarely fails
to wet the appetite of superhero fans everywhere. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is no exception.
I admit, I was not enthusiastic about this movie when the
casting was first announced. 2014 Guardians
of the Galaxy had its fair share of explosions, ingenious schemes and hilarious
character exchanges. However, I found it hard to empathize with many of the
characters. They did not seem very believable.
Many of the characters’ actions did not fit with their backstories.
Gamora, a former princess turned assassin who grew in an abusive atmosphere,
surprisingly seemed too willing to trust complete strangers. Rocket, a genetic
experiment with a knack for tinkering, seemed annoyed by the company of the
others, yet remained with the team. I assume it had something to do with Groot
wanting to stay, but cannot say for certain. When it comes to Groot, I gave up trying
to figure him out long ago. When I thought I finally had the big tree figured
out, he blew up into thousands of pieces to resurface as a dancing twig (In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Groot is
nothing more than an angry 3-year old with violent tendencies). Peter Quill, the
focus of the first movie, was hardest to empathize as his backstory least
aligned with his actions. I would think that a kid who was abducted by extraterrestrials
on the same day his mother died of cancer, would hold more of a grudge against
non-Earth life forms. The one character whose motives were best reflected in
his actions was Drax. With a vendetta to kill the person who murdered his
family, I’d expect Drax to do anything and everything necessary to get to Ronan
the Accuser. So, the plot of the first movie, though satisfactory, did not do a
respectable job of taking the backstories of the characters and translating
them into clearly choreographed motives.
Given the track record of sci-fi sequels, I also did not
expect the director and writers to address any of these glaring issues. Holes
in backstories that large are rarely addressed in sci-fi sequels. Think Transformers, Aliens (prior to Prometheus),
Cloverfield and other sci-fi films
that did a horrible job expanding character backstories. Instead of using the
next film to complete these backstories, the saga jumps into a completely
unrelated plot line, leaving the viewers even more confused and annoyed. So how
did the newest installment to Guardians
of the Galaxy fare?
After watching Guardians
of the Galaxy Vol. 2, I am pleasantly surprised to see an attempt to plug
up some of the holes left in the previous film. By focusing on the struggles
between Peter and his father, the god (with a little ‘g’) known as Ego, this
film artfully addresses the tensions between other characters. Take Gamora and
Nebula, for example. On the surface, Nebula’s rage stems from jealousy toward
her sister for besting her in everything they do. I’d go further to say her
conflicts with Gamora resemble the conflicts between a jealous older sister and
her favored younger sister. Surprisingly, the conflict goes deeper than that.
Gamora also shares blame in Nebula’s jealousy towards her because she fails to
acknowledge Nebula’s feelings due to her blinding competitive nature, which she
openly admits. She points out that her competitive spirit is a result of the mistreatment
and continuous fear she endures under Thanos.
At no point do these revelations disrupt the flow of events.
Gamora’s acceptance of her part in Nebula’s pain strengthens Nebula’s resolve
to help the Guardians kill Ego. Subsequently, Nebula’s assistance helps set the
stage for Yondu’s confession to Quill, for not being the father Quill always
wanted. The director and writers made a great call in giving fans, and casual
movie-goers alike, further insight to Peter and Yondu’s relationship. Fans
could relate to Quill on a more intimate level.
The director and writers also deserve credit for giving as
much of the supporting characters, as possible, roles that directly affect the
plot line. Taserface, god bless this poor fellow, had the unfortunate task of
overthrowing Yondu, ordering the death of many of Yondu’s followers and directing
the high priestess to the whereabouts of the Guardians before his pathetic
demise. As a result, the high priestess and her army divert what may have been
a happy ending with Yondu alive and well.
I am not saying no characters die or mysteriously disappear
into oblivion, which I will lump up as the ‘death rate’. However, the ‘death rate’
of the cast of characters is incredibly low. If you factor the importance of
the supporting cast in the plot, and the sheer number of surviving characters,
the possibility of future story arcs is almost limitless. Will Mantis play a
key role in Thanos’ death? Will Yondu’s second-in-command, Kraglin, help Quill ascend the ranks of The Ravagers? All these possibilities fuel a fire of
speculations that will keep an increasing fan base intrigued for subsequent
installments to come.
There you have it! I think the film is a fundamental step in
the right direction. It has a solid plot that addresses holes in the past
movie, while minimizing any new holes in the characters’ backstory. It
maximizes the potential of the supporting cast to affect current and future
plot lines and gives its fan base something to consider for the next couple of
sequels. Characters that I wish survived didn’t and the film is too
CG-dependent. Nonetheless, it sets the stage for another Marvel blockbuster
franchise. All in all, I believe Guardians
of the Galaxy Vol. 2 deserves an 8.9/10.
Here is a
song from the movie soundtrack. It’s “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light
Orchestra. Enjoy!
Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky
Special
thanks to ELOVEVO for sharing the video. Please show your appreciation by
liking the song on its official page.
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